Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar has strongly condemned the dramatic arrest of party councillor Sugathan, vowing full legal and political support while alleging political vendetta and misuse of police power by the ruling CPI(M).
Key Points
- Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar pledged full legal and political support to councillor Sugathan following his dramatic arrest.
- The BJP has labelled Sugathan's arrest as a "political vendetta" and a "blatant misuse of the police system" by the ruling CPI(M).
- Sugathan was arrested under the Kerala Antisocial Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA) after the Kerala High Court denied him anticipatory bail in an assault case.
- Police fired in the air during the arrest to disperse a crowd, while Sugathan's family alleged excessive force was used.
- BJP leaders, including former DGP R Sreelekha, criticised the police for acting as "slaves" of the CPI(M) and targeting BJP workers.
Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday said that the party will provide all possible support and legal assistance to its councillor Sugathan, who was recently arrested in a dramatic manner from the state capital. Terming the action against the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation councillor from the Vazhottukonam ward as a "political vendetta," Chandrasekhar said the party will protect him from this "blatant misuse of the police system."
BJP Alleges Political Vendetta In Councillor's Arrest
The BJP state president, in a Facebook post, claimed that the saffron party was not like the CPI(M) "which unleashes violence and vandalises vehicles when its leaders are questioned by the Enforcement Directorate." Chandrasekhar, also the MLA from Nemom constituency, contended that the BJP respects the rule of law and the Constitution and will legally face action against Sugathan. "We will not abandon our workers or peoples' representatives," he asserted.
He also alleged that both the CPI(M) and the Congress were the same when it came to "hunting" the BJP by misusing the administrative machinery and the law. Vattiyoorkavu councillor and former DGP of Kerala Police, R Sreelekha, also slammed the police action against her party colleague Sugathan. She claimed, in a Facebook post, that Sugathan was branded as a criminal by the police which lodged many cases against him, on directions of CPI(M) leaders, for questioning various illegal activities in Vattiyoorkavu. "People knew this and that is why they voted for him in the local body elections," she said. She further claimed that despite a change in government in Kerala, nothing else has changed as even now the police, district authorities, and other officials were acting as "slaves" of the CPI(M)."
Dramatic Arrest And Police Action
Sugathan, facing preventive detention under the Kerala Antisocial Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA), was arrested from his home in the state capital on Tuesday night following dramatic scenes. Police had to fire in the air to disperse a crowd and prevent further violence while arresting him. He was arrested after Kerala High Court denied him anticipatory bail in an alleged assault case linked to a temple festival. While the police claimed that it had to resort to firing in the air as BJP supporters surrounded them, the councillor's family claimed that the officers used excessive force, including against his wife and children.
